A Life Not Lost
by ChibiJinchuuriki
Summary: Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't. Konoha finds itself being invaded 5 years after the 3rd Great Shinobi World War. Kakashi tries his best to protect Rin...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any of the characters :)

**NOTE:** This is set 5 years after Obito's death and the 3rd Great Shinobi World War (GSWW III)  
Kakashi and Rin are aged approximately 18 years old.  
A take on how Rin could have died...

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Life is life, and death is life, and everything in between. ~Terri guillemets

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"Sound the alarm at once! Raise the village status to code red! Call in more reinforcements you hear me? I will not allow Iwagakure to invade this village whatever their objectives may be! We must keep the peace at all costs!" Commanded the 3rd Hokage.

"Yes my lord! I will alert all the squads immediately!"

One shinobi fled the room as quick as a flash, eager to warn the others of this dire situation, while the other stayed in the room to report to the Hokage.

"Status report! Squadron 7-B Captain Goshiki reporting!" He saluted.

"Speak. How are our defences holding up?"

"Not well sir! There have already been reports of infiltrations from a number of the gates. The platoons at gates 2, 3, 5 and 8 have all been overwhelmed and the others are finding it increasingly difficult to keep out the intruders with so little men available."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed in frustration and turned to look out the window, hiding his face in one hand. "I knew that it was a big risk to send out most of our best shinobi to the neighbouring villages to investigate this matter. As you know already, there have been rumours circulating that one particular village has been talking about invading us for some time… If only I had known that it was Iwagakure! All we can do for now is to hold up for as long as we can and hope that the squads return quickly."

"But what does Iwagakure want with us Hokage-sama? The peace treaty has been signed hasn't it? It should be against the agreement now to attack another village."

"Who knows what they want? It could be anything. They haven't made it clear to us what they're after. However I'm not surprised. Everyone knows that Iwagakure has held a grudge against Konoha since the end of the 3rd Great Shinobi World War… Perhaps they've finally let loose all their resentment and are going to take their vengeance on us for good."

"Iwagakure holding a grudge against us for all these years? But it's been 5 long years! The war has been put behind everyone now hasn't it? Differences don't set us aside anymore do they? Iwagakure couldn't possibly think of infringing the treaty guidelines!"

"As I said before, we don't know they're objectives, so we must find out all there is to know. Only once we fully understand their motives will we be able to fight back confidently and with cause."

"Well spoken Hokage-sama."

"Also, keep the status reports frequent, I need to be aware of Konoha's situation as regularly as possible."

"Yes Hokage-sama!"

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ChibiJinchuuriki: A short chapter to set the scene and the situation that Konoha is in :) Review if you can please, to tell me what you think. More chapters to come ^^

Also, thanks to **phantom130 5 **for suggesting the story to me and giving me some ideas :) without him, there would be no story!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

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A certain silver-haired shinobi was leading his team back towards the direction of Konoha with extreme speed. Kakashi and his team had not been far away when they had received the urgent team call back message for reinforcements by carrier hawk.

Distressing thoughts were running wild inside Kakashi's mind as he sped through the dense woodland as quick as a blur.

_Just what exactly is happening in Konoha right now? What is all this about a full-scale invasion from Iwagakure? I'd better get back to the village as soon as possible! I have to see if everyone is okay, especially Rin…_

His nerves were getting the better of him as he wished for nothing else but to be in Konoha this very second. Seeing that his comrades were falling a little behind him, Kakashi decided to slow down a little.

_I have to keep with my team; I can't run ahead without them! I'm the team captain… I have to match my pace with everyone. I'm probably not the only one who's worried about Konoha right now, but even so… I still have to stay with my team._

After about half an hour of travelling at maximum speed, Kakashi and his team had finally reached the Konoha gates. Even as they were approaching the gates, they could hear the sounds of combat… shouts of commands, cries of pain and the clash of metal on metal.

There was definitely something or someone trying to infiltrate Konoha. They could even see what appeared to be the Iwa-nin trying to force open the particular gate that they were heading towards.

Kakashi halted his men with a silent hand gesture and they kept themselves hidden a few yards away in some dense bushes. With a few more hand signals, he outlined what they were about to do.

It didn't seem like the Iwa-nin were aware of the presence of Kakashi and his team behind them. Whatever the reasons the Iwa-nin were there, it didn't seem like they had come for a friendly visit. The gate guards were fighting with all their might in an attempt to beat them off.

Kakashi pulled together his thoughts and accessed the situation calmly. He had no idea what Iwagakure was doing here or what they were doing, but he knew that it involved something offensive. To be able to gain entry back into Konoha, they needed to enter through a gate… however, they all seemed to be shut. The gate that he and his team were nearest to now was this one, which was being attacked by Iwa-nin. Being a fast thinker, Kakashi came up with a strategy in no time.

Kakashi decided that he and his team would take out the Iwa-nin at this gate for 2 reasons. One being that this was the least that he could do for Konoha's protection at this very moment and the other being that it would be a convenient way to gain entry back into Konoha. There might be an open gate somewhere, but he and his team didn't have time to waste looking for open gates. They needed to gain entry back in to Konoha as quickly as possible.

Making sure that all of his men were ready, Kakashi raised the first 3 fingers of his right hand in the air. Once he saw a suitable opening, he motioned forward and together, they sped silently towards the dozen or so Iwa-nin.

Looking up once Kakashi was only 5 metres away, one of the Iwa-shinobi realised that they were not alone and raised the alarm to his squad.

"Look! Behind us! Leaf shinobi! The first of their reinforcements have arrived!"

Immediately, the enemy reacted. Turning around to face Kakashi and his team, they readied themselves in a battle formation.

"All of you stay focused! We have to bring ourselves back inside to protect the village! It won't do any good if you get yourself injured now!" Cried Kakashi, giving his team a heads-up.

It was merely a few seconds before they clashed kunai with the rock-shinobi.

Making use of his taijutsu skills, Kakashi managed to knock out one shinobi in no time, barely before the fight had begun. Searching for his next target, he pulled out a couple of shuriken and aimed them precisely before throwing them, several of which managed to embed themselves in the back of another unfortunate shinobi. Turning to a third opponent, Kakashi ducked and extended his leg to perform a leg sweep, which the Iwa-nin managed to jump and avoid. Next, he tried giving out a series of punches to try and wind his opponent but with no avail. None of his punches had managed to land. This Iwa-nin was good. It was taking Kakashi slightly longer to defeat this one, however, he didn't want to use any ninjutsu.

_It wouldn't be worth it on such a lowly ranked chuunin... I should reserve his chakra for later, much needed situations. _

Trying for a different tactic, Kakashi increased his speed and turned up behind the shinobi, who became startled and faltered for a split second. This was all the copy-nin needed. That split second had given him the upper hand. Pulling out his kunai, he dealt the Iwa-nin a particularly deep wound, bringing him down instantly.

Even though they had been outnumbered before, the numbers of the rock-shinobi at the gate were dwindling alarmingly fast. Very soon, every single one of them had been taken out.

_No surprise. Iwagakure probably sent their weaker shinobi as a diversion or to test our strength. The stronger more skilled shinobi will come soon…_

"Come on! Move it! We have to get ourselves inside as soon as possible! The more man power Konoha has to defend and fight the better!" Cried Kakashi.

Signalling to the gate guards up high on the wall, Kakashi managed to convince them to open the gates to let them inside quickly.

Seeing Kakashi and his men, one of the guards called down to them.

"You guys are the one of the first teams back! We need the reinforcements badly! There's no end to the Iwa-nin! They just keep coming! It may be possible that small numbers have already infiltrated the village!"

"Do you have any idea why they're here?"

"No I'm afraid! Even Lord Hokage is uncertain as to why they're here! But enough talking for now, you'd all better report in and get set up at your stations!"

Sprinting past the gates, Kakashi ran with his men a little ways into the village before he stopped suddenly, causing his men to halt with him.

"All of you go and report to Hokage-sama first. I have someone I need to check on…"

"But Kakashi-senpai…"

"Just go. I'll follow after you shortly."

"Yes Kakashi-senpai!" They all cried, before dashing away on the road to the Hokage tower.

There, the team separated from him and they continued running ahead, as Kakashi changed direction to take a different route.

Turning to dash down a side road, Kakashi made his way without hesitation to the Konoha hospital.

There was only one person on his mind at the moment… Rin. Blame his overprotective side or his tendency to worry for her safety but he _had_ to make sure that she was okay; it's not everyday that Iwagakure invades Konoha.

_Hadn't one of the gatekeepers said that several Iwa-nin had possibly infiltrated already? Who knows where they could be in the village at this moment…_

This alarming thought only made Kakashi quicken his pace. It gave him all the more reason to check up on Rin.

_I should warn her if she doesn't already know! These Iwa-nin could become potentially very dangerous. I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to her. I would be breaking my promise to Obito… _

His thoughts were interrupted when a shrill sounding alarm pierced through the air, reaching his ears.

Around him on the streets, people stopped in their tracks and small children wailed as they heard this unusual alarm.

_That's the evacuation siren! Has the situation escalated to this much of a problem already? When an alarm is sounded, all available shinobi should report to the Hokage immediately… but Rin, I need to see if she's okay. I'm not that far from the hospital now, it wouldn't hurt to at least just see her… I have to make this quick!_

_

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_ChibiJinchuuriki: Please review and tell me what you think! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

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Meanwhile at the Konoha hospital, Rin had heard the evacuation siren as clear as crystal and was trying to calm down her fellow nurses and their patients through the screams of distress in the background. It seemed as if the whole hospital had fallen into chaos once the sirens had sounded. All order had been lost.

"Everyone! Calm down! There is _no_ need to panic!" She shouted, waving her arms in the air in reassurance.

"But what's going to happen to us? Why are the alarms sounding?" Wailed a patient.

"We're not sure at the moment but don't forget, we need to follow basic Konoha conduct. Everyone has to remain orderly and sensible throughout this matter alright? So listen to the nurses. They'll help to guide you through this ordeal."

She received a few hesitant nods from around the room as the crowds hushed into a somewhat quieter murmur.

Rin turned to a fellow nurse and started giving her commands.

"We have to start evacuating the patients as soon as possible. Separate them into 2 groups from the ones with the least injuries to the ones with the most. For the ones that are least injured and are able to move, start walking them to the Hokage monument where they have the evacuation bunkers."

"Of course Rin-san, but what about the more seriously injured patients? What of them?"

"Well… we'll see how many are left over. If there aren't too many, then we should be able to transport them to the bunker ourselves. However, if there are too many, I might have to-"

"Rin-san! There's someone here to see you! He says it's urgent." Interrupted a nurse at the front desk.

Rin was broken from her train of thoughts regarding the safety of the hospital patients.

_Who was it? Who would need to see me now of all times?_

"Hold on! I'll be right there!"

Pacing quickly out of the main hospital ward, she made it to the reception. Upon arrival, she looked up to see a familiar man. He was her one and only surviving teammate from her former team and her best friend, whom she had known since they were genin. They had been through so much together after Obito's death, that it had naturally brought them closer.

A feeling of relief flooded through her body when she saw Kakashi. He would know what was happening. Dashing over to where he was, Rin enveloped him in a brief hug.

"Kakashi! Thank goodness you're alright!"

"I can say the same about you Rin."

"Do you have any idea what's going on? Why are the alarms sounding?"

"Well, I haven't got the full details but as we speak, Iwagakure is invading Konoha."

Rin's eyes widened in disbelief and she faltered in her stance.

"What? A full-scale invasion of Konoha? W-Why?"

"I don't know Rin, no one does. But I came here to make sure that you were safe. Iwagakure-nin are highly dangerous and…. and I just… just want to know that. Don't do anything reckless. Please."

Kakashi put his arms on Rin's shoulders, trying to get her to listen to his words.

"Kakashi… you don't have to worry for me, I've told you that before. I'll be fine! Look, I'm not a jounin for nothing you know!" Smiled Rin confidently as she shrugged Kakashi's arms off her shoulders.

Kakashi was not convinced.

"But Rin! You spend so much time here at the hospital nowadays that you hardly ever go on missions anymore! You don't have as much experience towards fighting as me… _that's_ why I'm worried."

Rin sighed. "Kakashi, for once will you at least have _some _confidence in me? I'm not the little girl who was kidnapped during the 3rd Shinobi War anymore… I can take care of myself."

The look in Kakashi's eye changed, more to a pleading look of desperation.

"But Rin, would you just _consider_ joining the other villagers in the Hokage monument bunkers? For me, please? That way I'd know you'd be safe. I… I promised Obito that I'd take care of you. If something were to happen to you I would never be able to live with myself."

Rin sighed again and diverted her eyes off to the side, one arm holding the other and leant against the wall stubbornly.

"No Kakashi, I could never do that… I have other responsibilities too. I'm also a medical-nin remember? I have to stay at the hospital to look after the patients. It's my duty."

"Can't you just evacuate them all to the bunkers?"

"No. As much as I would like to, I can't. Not all of them. The ones that are too seriously injured will have to stay here, where all of the necessary medical equipment are available."

"But Ri-"

The nurse that Rin had given commands to before had come back, cutting Kakashi off in mid-sentence.

"Rin-san! The patients have all been divided into the given groups! And we're all ready to go!"

The brunette turned her attention away from Kakashi and focused instead with serious eyes on the uniformed lady standing in the corridor.

"Alright, good job. How many critically injured patients are there?"

"About 85."

Rin froze, as she seemed to accept the fact that she would be without doubt, staying at the hospital to look after the patients. There were just too many to move and that was that. With a heavy heart, she replied her answer and flinched inside when she heard the words that came out of her mouth. Kakashi won't be too happy when he hears this…

"I… I got it. You and the other nurses can start moving the less critically injured to the safety bunkers now… I'll be staying behind."

The nurse gave a curt nod before turning around to walk back.

"Thank you for doing this Rin-san. We're all counting on you."

Even though the sirens outside where blaring and the multiple voices of distressed patients were next door, there was a strange silence that hung in the air. As the footsteps of the nurse grew more distant and distant with each second, Rin held her breath inside as she waited for Kakashi's unpredictable response.

It was Kakashi's turn to widen his eyes.

"What? Rin, you are not _serious!_ It's too dangerous! You can't stay here at the hospital when there's an invasion outside! You should be in the bunkers with everyone else!"

It was clear that Kakashi was concerned for his best friend's safety. Why couldn't she just listen to him? Just do this simple action for him to put him at ease? The fear in him started to boil wildly. She wasn't seriously considering doing this was she?

"Kakashi, I've made my decision. I'm going to stay here. There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind. So don't even try."

"Rin… don't … please!"

He was lost for words. Nothing could describe the feeling that he felt right now. It was the heaviest sensation of dread and anxiety that was humanly possible.

"I've found my reason for living Kakashi. I have a purpose in life as well as you. Ever since I was a genin, I've always wanted to be a medical-nin and now that I am one, I understand the responsibilities it holds. _I _am responsible for people's lives. _I'm_ here to protect and look after them. If I run away from that, I would be deserting my duties as a medical-nin."

"… Can't they find someone else?" He finally looked up and said, after fidgeting with his gloved hands for what seemed like an eternity.

"No. I'm the one best suited for this job. I'm also a qualified shinobi… I'm able to fight as well if need be. I have a better chance of defending the hospital than anyone else." Said Rin with a straight face.

_It looks like she really means it… she's going to stay._ Said the small voice in Kakashi's head. _She's got her mind set, and there's nothing you'll be able to do to get her to change her mind… the effort will be wasted, like a cry on deaf ears. You should just let her be. _This was the painful conclusion that Kakashi was forced to draw, as much as he hated it.

He sighed deeply. "There's nothing I can do is there?"

"No." She shook her head slowly, the apology plainly visible on her face.

"I guess that's that then…." Kakashi diverted his gaze to the floor before bringing it back up to focus on the woman in front of him. "I'll let you stay at the hospital, but just promise me something Rin."

"Anything."

"Don't… don't act by yourself if you do get into a fight with the Iwa-nin to protect the hospital. Try to call for back up or better yet, just say the word and I'll be there in a second." Explained Kakashi, taking a step forward and putting a hand on her shoulder in support. "Don't act on impulse."

Rin bit her lip and hesitated for a second.

_Kakashi still doesn't have confidence in me… he still thinks I'm weak!_

"Yes. Of course I will. Don't worry Kakashi, I won't act without thinking of the consequences, you know that."

"Good." Replied Kakashi with a nod of his head. He then pulled out a small radio earpiece device and held it out to Rin. "Take this. It'll allow us to keep in contact with each other, and make sure you keep your end of the promise… radio me if you run into trouble okay?"

Rin's fingertips brushed across the small metal device before grasping it and lifting it from Kakashi's hands, placing it comfortably in her ear.

"Sure. Sure I will Kaka-"

The sudden sound of an explosion outside caused them both to turn their heads in surprise. The cries of distressed patients that had died down before had now risen again, to an all-new level of racket. The impact of the explosion had rocked the hospital foundations itself, shocking both Kakashi and Rin into having to rely against the wall to maintain their balance and right themselves up again.

"How far away do you think that explosion was?" Gasped Rin.

"Judging from the echo and magnitude of impact, I'd say somewhere near the edge of the village, possibly where the gates are."

"Do you think more of the Iwagakure Shinobi have broken in?" Asked Rin, concerned.

"It's hard to say… Konoha could have caused that blast for all we know."

"Then if it's getting to the point where this sort of violent force is being used, you should be reporting to the Hokage now Kakashi!"

Kakashi bit his lip and clenched his fists in annoyance.

_Damn! I almost forgot! I have to get going… but I don't want to leave Rin alone. Is she going to be okay?_

Rin seemed to be able to read Kakashi's mind.

"Just _go_ Kakashi!" She cried. "I'll be fine! How many times do I have to tell you? The quicker you report, the better the village will be defended! Who knows? Maybe in the end I won't even have to fight!" She beamed.

Her amazing smile was enough to make disappear all of Kakashi's fears and doubts.

_That's just so like her… to turn such a gloomy situation into a slightly better one with her smile. Somehow she always comes up with something to say that makes a person feel better about themselves.__ Somehow she has the strength to never give up._

Rin came forward and hugged Kakashi, much longer and more meaningful this time. It was a firm, tight hug that for a few seconds, made him forget where he was. It was just Rin and him, standing there together in the corridor immersed their own little world, holding one another like it was the last time they would see each other.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." She whispered in a soothing and comforting voice. "I'll be fine…"

He allowed himself to be hugged, enjoying the short moment of serenity and tranquillity that it brought. The mood surrounding the both of them was powerful enough to even drown out the deafening drone of the evacuation sirens.

It was Rin who parted their hug, much to Kakashi's dismay. He didn't want it to end. Deep down he had selfishly wished that if their hug had lasted longer, then maybe he could have kept Rin from fighting and himself from having to report to the Hokage. He had wanted to delay parting from her as much as possible.

With a shaky smile, Rin said the parting words that meant that he should go.

"Now Kakashi… you shouldn't keep the Hokage waiting!" She smiled.

He took a step away from the medic-nin with worry filled eyes.

"You _sure_ you'll be fine by yourself?"

"Yes!"

"Make sure to radio me for help."

"Yes!"

"I'll try to get the Hokage to station me closer to the hospital alright?"

"Yes! Yes! Now go!" She cried, making a shooing action with her hands.

Kakashi took one last look at Rin before turning around.

"Take care of yourself Rin…"

"I will."

Then swiftly, he broke into a run down the corridor and rounded the corner, exiting out the front of the hospital.

"Good luck Kakashi…" Rin whispered after him.

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ChibiJinchuuriki: How was it? I tried to put some emotion into it... was it too cheesy? please tell me! Review! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

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People flooded the streets of Konoha. Upset villagers were running along in streams towards the Hokage monument, no doubt trying to get the best spots in the evacuation bunkers first.

Kakashi took note of this and ran faster, travelling in the opposite direction of the villagers. He needed to make it to the Hokage tower… and fast.

No matter what it took, he _needed_ to make sure that he would get a spot stationed at the Konoha Hospital. If he were anywhere else, he'd probably find himself getting distracted by the thought of Rin running into trouble and getting attacked by the Iwa-nin. Not some of the best thoughts to be having while trying to concentrate on fighting to protect the village.

At least if he were stationed somewhere near her, it would give him a piece of mind and put his worrying to rest. If Rin radioed him for help, he would be able to reach her quickly and effectively.

As the tall, colossal, red mansion came into view, Kakashi looked around and saw the absence of green vest-wearing leaf shinobi.

_Great. It looks like most of them still haven't come back from their missions… Where are they all?_

Still however, it made him feel confident.

_If not many shinobi have reported to the Hokage, then that means many stations around the village still need volunteers to be assigned to defend it… I'll possibly have a better chance of applying for a spot near the hospital! _

With this newfound belief in mind, Kakashi reached the front steps where two ANBU in uniform were positioned.

"You're Kakashi Hatake aren't you?" The one wearing a bird mask questioned.

"Yes."

"Go right on in. Lord Hokage needs to allocate you to a station. We need all the shinobi we can." Stated the second ANBU, searching and marking Kakashi's name off a checklist that was crammed with names.

Kakashi nodded and made his way past the ANBU, proceeding to climb the steps, walk through the entrance hall and up the flight of stairs.

Making a beeline for the Hokage office door, he extended a hand to grasp the doorknob and another to knock on the door.

"Come in." Voiced the Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, Hatake Kakashi here reporting."

"Glad you could make it here quite quickly Kakashi. I'm sure that you're fairly aware of the situation we have at the moment so I won't need to explain myself. I heard from the rest of your team that you had gone to check on someone-"

"Ah yes, about that Lord Hokage…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"It's Rin. That was who I was checking up on before. She's made her decision to stay at the hospital to defend the patients… and I was wondering if-"

"You could get stationed at the hospital as well?"

"Yes. That would be perfect if you could do that Hokage-sama." Appealed Kakashi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped at this and pondered on it for a few seconds, one hand stroking his white stump of a beard and the other tapping his fingers on the desk in a rhythmic fashion. Once he had made his decision, the Hokage clasped his hands together and looked up at the copy-nin.

"No Kakashi. I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Inside, Kakashi felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart. Did he just hear those words properly? Was the Hokage denying him his duty to protect his best friend? He had to ask again.

"I'm sorry. Could you please repeat that?"

"I can't station you at the hospital Kakashi. You're needed elsewhere."

No. He couldn't let an opportunity to protect Rin pass by. He had to keep trying and not give up until he got what he wanted… a spot somewhere near the hospital.

"But Hokage-sama, It's _Rin _that I'm talking about! She's all alone watching the hospital by herself and there's no telling what the Iwa-nin will do once, or if they reach the hospital! All I'm asking is to be stationed near her. It doesn't even have to be _at _the hospital, just somewhere near it. I made her a promise that I'd be there to help her if she runs into trouble. I won't be able to do that if I'm far away from her."

Hearing this, the Hokage shook his head slowly and sighed, refusing Kakashi's desperate plea.

"I'm sorry Kakashi. I've already got a position in mind for you. Since you're one of our finest leaf shinobi, you'll be needed where the defences are weakest and where the Iwa-nin will be trying to break through. You'll be fighting amongst the front lines of the defences."

"Hokage-sama, please-"

"I am well aware of the bond that you and Rin share. You two have been close friends for years now since the death of your teammate Obito and your legendary sensei. I know how you must feel. You want to make sure that she stays safe and won't do anything reckless, is that right?"

"Yes."

"Well Kakashi, I think that it's about time you let Rin try and take care of herself for once. If you keep protecting her, she'll lose the ability to be able to look after herself in situations where you are not there."

"Yes, but even so Hokage-sama-"

"Have faith in her Kakashi. Rin is a fine, young, capable woman. She works genuinely hard to accomplish her goals and dreams. It is due to this high determination and perseverance that she has earned her rank as the head medical nurse at the hospital. Rin may seem weak on the outside and lack the physical strength, but inside, she has a strong fighting spirit and that is all that matters. She is one of the finest kunoichi I know in the village, so there is nothing to worry yourself about Kakashi." Lectured the Sandaime. "She will be fine on her own."

Kakashi looked down in sorrow at the carpet on the floor and listened to the Hokage's words, each one slicing a deeper cut into his soul.

Why couldn't the Hokage understand his promise to her? Or the way he felt towards her? He was the only one that knew Rin on a personal level and what she is capable of. Surely the Hokage would snap himself out from whatever trance he was in and change his mind… he had to.

But on the other hand, what the Hokage had said about Rin _did _make him open his eyes a little. Another half of him now believed that maybe she wasn't as delicate and easily broken as he had thought her to be in the first place. Maybe she _will_ be fine on her own… If only he allowed himself to believe that so easily.

Should he keep protecting her like he always did? Or give her this one chance that she wanted so much, to stand up for _herself_ this time and accomplish her mission without him?

_It is true Kakashi. You won't be able to protect her forever, so you may as well give her the opportunity in a situation like this to try and fight by herself. She will only become stronger that way…"_

Within those few seconds after the Hokage's speech, he reluctantly drew his decision.

"So what do you say Kakashi? Will you let Rin go?"

"Y-yes… yes I guess I will this time." He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

_She will be fine! She is strong enough on her own. You have to believe that!_

"A wise decision made Kakashi. Later you will look back and praise yourself for the choice you have chosen, and so will Rin. She will gain experience from this and as a result will become ultimately stronger."

_I wonder if that really will be the case…_

"We have no time to waste then. Shall we discuss your position in Konoha's defences now?"

"Yes. I'm ready."

"You will be stationed at the west gate and will be part of platoon 1-A consisting of 20 members. Serving as their captain, you must be capable of the demands and responsibilities it brings. You show fine leadership skills Kakashi, that I have seen from your very first mission as a jounin in the destruction of the Kannabi Bridge and in your other more recent assignments. I am sure that you will be very suited as their captain. Will you accept?"

"Yes Hokage-sama, I will."

"Very well. Go to the west gate where you will meet your platoon members, most of them should have already assembled. Remember to make informed decisions before you act and not to let your team down. Good luck Kakashi."

"Thank you Hokage-sama."

* * *

Whilst running towards the direction of the west gate, Kakashi still found it difficult to keep his thoughts away from Rin. It was incredibly hard physically to run away in the opposite direction of the hospital. Each step made him want to turn around and run back to Rin's side. One half wanted him to stick with her and the other wanted to let her be, saying that it would be beneficial to her learning to be able to take care of herself.

With this inner war raging on inside of him, he wondered if he _had_ in fact, made the right choice. Either way, it was too late to turn back now. He had a secured position as a team leader, something he couldn't afford to turn down.

There could only be two outcomes. Rin would either fight and win against her enemies… or she would lose. However, he managed to program his mind to put the least amount of belief in the latter.

_Rin will__ make it… she'll be fine. Rin will make it… she'll be fine._

Those words seem to have etched themselves securely into his mind. Every few seconds he found himself chanting them over and over again, like some kind of mantra designed to keep him sane.

At long last, the watchtowers of the west gate could be seen. Immediately, Kakashi saw how serious the situation really was. About 50 Konoha Shinobi were there, some were scrambling about while others were pushing themselves against the gates, trying to keep them together and prevent the Iwa-nin from breaking in at the same time.

It occurred to Kakashi that his was very different from when he last gained entry into the village with his team. There had been barely any Iwa-nin outside back then. It appeared that Konoha was not the only side to receive reinforcements; Iwagakure had increased their forces as well. More of them had marched themselves up to Konoha's gates, demanding entry inside.

Everything was in absolute mayhem. He needed to do something about it.

Up until now, platoon 1-A had no captain to give them commands and tell them what to do. Several of them were fighting by themselves, not in a group like they were supposed to be.

Getting ready, Kakashi raised his voice so that it was well audible over the clashes of metal and cries.

"Everyone in platoon 1-A report immediately! I am Hatake Kakashi, and as of now, your team leader!" He announced.

A bunch of Shinobi close enough to 20 stopped their attacks on the Iwa-nin and gathered around Kakashi, with the looks of determined warriors ready for battle.

"Hatake Kakashi huh?" Spoke one of the Shinobi. "We'll be in good hands alright! He's one of the highest ranking jounin in the whole village!"

"You don't say…" Gasped another.

"Alright! Break up into two groups quickly. Group B will defend the gates while group A will go over to the other side of the gates to fight the Iwa-nin along with myself."

Kakashi reached up to feel the radio earpiece in his ear, not forgetting his promise to Rin.

The groups were formed in no time, and as they stood before Kakashi, he had one other thing to say to them.

"Look out for your teammates everyone! Look out for them and they will look out for you in return! It is true that in the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum! Remember that! Now move out!"

With a single motion of his hand, the Leaf-nin scattered.

* * *

ChibiJinchuuriki: Please review guys and tell me what you think! It's the only way I get motivation to write more chapters! :D


	5. Chapter 5

phew. it's been a while since i last updated this story! i had already started on this chapter straight after the one before, but i just didn't have any motivation so i wrote real slow. but, i've gotten quite a number of favourites and reviews since then, so it got me going! ^_^ Thanks everyone who favourited and reviewed so far!

Chapter 5:

* * *

It was quiet in the hospital. Deathly quiet.

The usual hustle and bustle of people dashing about up and down the corridors was gone. The hospital just didn't feel like one anymore without it. The familiar hum of activity had vanished completely. Only Rin and several dozen patients remained silently in the empty shell of a structure.

_I'm the only person that is capable of protecting the patients. It's my duty as a medical-nin and a shinobi! I can do this! _Thought Rin as she patrolled the empty corridors.

Every now and then she'd check up on the patients, who had all been moved into the main infirmary room, putting on a cheery face to mask her worry.

"How's everybody doing? I know this must be hard staying behind here in the hospital at such a dangerous time, but I'll be here to look after you so nobody has to worry about a thing!" She'd said every time, trying to sound brave and confident but she'd always get the same answers from the patients.

"I'm fine." They would all say. "But are _you _okay?"

It occurred to Rin that the patients weren't really worried much about their own safety at all, but more for hers_._ She knew many of the patients on a personal level, since she always spent so much time at the hospital. Rin had already received many words of support and encouragement from the people she was looking after.

"How brave of you Rin to stay and look after all of us. There should be more shinobi like you these days!" An elderly woman had praised.

"Rin-san! Rin-san! Rin-san! She's the bravest medic-nin in all of the five nations!" A young boy had cried.

Everyone was backing Rin and helping her to build up her confidence. It was nice to know that she had the full support of her patients. This was by far the most risky and dangerous mission she'd ever taken before by herself and even Rin herself had doubts if she could truly be able to complete it if things got complicated. But in the end it would be the most rewarding mission. Protecting the ones who need protecting is a responsibility and duty that is the most basic of all medical-nin principles.

* * *

Rin had lost track of time by now, but if she had to guess, it must have been at least an hour or two since she'd last seen Kakashi.

_Is he doing okay? He's not hurt is he? No. Kakashi's not the type of shinobi who gets injured that easily! I know he's out there trying his best! _Rin reassured herself.

Rin's mind had worked out that Kakashi had not been stationed near the hospital after all. If he _had_ been, then he would have stopped by quickly to tell her or would have at least radioed her. This only further built up her courage.

_Kakashi won't be here to help me fight or rescue me… I have to be strong! This is my chance to prove myself as a kunoichi of the Leaf Village. If I make it through this, then maybe Kakashi won't think of me as someone who needs to be protected all the time. Maybe he won't think of me as someone who's weak…_

It wasn't as if Rin had considered radioing him, just to make sure that he was doing okay and to tell him the situation at the hospital, but she'd held herself back.

_There's no need to radio him is__ there? The hospital's doing fine, no Iwa-nin have come to attack it yet… and Kakashi's probably doing fine as well. Yes. There's no reason to radio him at all. If I do, it'll just distract him if he's in a fight right now. _

Rin sighed and leant against the cold, white-tiled wall. She needed some fresh heavy and thick air that hung inside the hospital was not helping to calm her bundle of nerves.

Once she had informed the patients that she was going to be away from the corridors for a few minutes, she then made her way up to the hospital roof. Stepping out through the door and putting her hands on the railings, she took several deep and slow breaths to relax herself. Once she was done, she surveyed the village from the rooftop. The Konoha Hospital was after all, one of the tallest buildings in the village second only to the Hokage Tower.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, besides the noise of clashing metal and cries in the far distance. It didn't look like any more gates had been broken through since the last time she'd checked. It seemed that Konoha was doing pretty good for itself.

_I'm glad no one at the hospital's been hurt so far… _Rin thought, as she put her head to rest on her arms and closed her eyes for a brief second.

The faint boom from an explosion reached her ears and Rin's head shot up at once, eyes scanning for the source.

_What was that? Is… is that smoke? _

Rin squinted her eyes and put a hand up to block out the sun's glare in order to see better.

_Yes… Yes it is! _

A small plume of grey smoke was climbing into the sky just a little right of her in the distance.

_That… that's where the east gate is! _

The far off cries intensified as another explosion was detonated. More smoke billowed upwards, leading Rin to believe the worst.

_The east gate is being destroyed! We're going to get infiltrated! Kakashi's not fighting there is he?_

Rin's heart began racing as she began to lapse into the early signs of panic. She suddenly felt the need for Kakashi to be by her side. She wanted to know whether the explosions that had just gone off had affected him. She wanted to know if he was wounded. She wanted to know if Iwa-nin were streaming in by the dozens, straight into the village or not. She wanted to know so many things, yet none could be answered at this very moment. Infiltration or no infiltration, Rin needed to get back to the patients as soon as possible. She'd already spent too much time out on the roof. The recent explosions had only urged her to return quicker.

However just as she turned around, something moved at the corner of her eye. The movement wasn't big, more like a small, subtle fluttering at the edge of her vision and she was sure that she would have missed it if she had turned around a fraction of a second earlier.

What was it that moved? Rin's eyes scanned the ground, lingering at the corners of buildings and on the edge of streets when a brief, bright glint from the reflection on something metallic caught her attention. Her well-trained eyes were attracted to them immediately and she gasped at what she saw.

Iwa-nin.

There were three of them, moving about with stealth along the empty streets below.

_No… it can't be._ Rin stood there speechless.

The Iwa-nin were heading straight for the hospital. At the distance they were now, it wouldn't take them very long until they reached the barricaded front doors. It would take less than a few minutes at the very least, she was sure of it.

_

* * *

No, no, no, no no! _The voice inside Rin's head screamed as adrenaline pumped through her body and coursed through her veins. She was still going down the steps, dashing down and leaping over them, not taking care of where she was placing her feet. Her heart skipped a beat at one stage when she nearly tripped over her heels.

_They're coming! They're coming! Will I be in time to warn the patients? _

Lungs panting and body heaving, she finally managed to reach the floor of the main infirmary room. Bursting open the door, she stormed in a rush. The patients in their beds turned their heads at Rin, giving her their full attention.

"What's wrong dearie? Have they come?" An elderly woman asked, concerned.

Giving herself a few seconds to catch her breath, Rin replied in a calm voice as to not panic the patients.

"Yes. I'm afraid that I have spotted a number of Iwa-nin headed towards the direction of the hospital."

Gasps were let loose all around the infirmary room.

"Now, there's no need to be alarmed! It's not for certain that they'll come and attack the hospital. There's a chance that we're not going to be targeted, maybe they're after something else."

"Let's hope so dearie! It would be a shame if you ended up getting hurt." The elderly woman voiced.

"Rin-san will be able to protect all of us! She's the best medical-nin ever!" Shouted the little boy.

Rin smiled a shaky smile, grateful for the support. "Now, if the event of an attack on the hospital should happen, I'd like all of you to stay here in this room and not to involve yourselves in the fight. It's quite safe here in the infirmary, the walls are reinforced with steel and-"

The sharp sound of shattering glass rang in her ears, bringing her and the whole room to silence. Rin's heart skipped a beat and a shiver ran through her body.

_Someone's broken into the hospital._

"What was that?" Wailed an old man. "They've come haven't they? They've come!" Hearing their dreaded thoughts spoken aloud, the patients became restless.

"Quiet everyone! Don't make too much noise and stay as quiet as you can or they'll hear you. I'll go and investigate what caused the shattering glass. As soon as I fix everything up, I'll be sure to come back. Don't worry about me I'll be fine." Rin commanded as she hurriedly closed the infirmary doors and dashed away. She needed to find out who or what was responsible for the shattering glass, whether she liked it or not.

Rin was sure that the sound had come from a few floors down on the west side. She ran quickly to get there, but as she neared the area, her legs slowed themselves down until she was at a pathetic slow creeping pace.

Rin reached the stair shaft that would take her down to the west wing area. Fear of the unknown was starting to take over her. Edging down the steps, she reached the door where she paused to pull herself together. She was fearful of what she might find on the other side of the door.

Kakashi was right. It _has _been quite a while since she'd last gone on a mission, hasn't it? It's been so long that she'd forgotten how pressured and tense a situation like this was, when you didn't know who your enemies were and where they were located.

Rin was breathing heavily and forming beads of sweat on her forehead while she counted down the seconds. The seconds of when she would open the door and find out who the intruders were.

_3… 2… 1, now!_

Rin tore open the door and opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the sight that lay before her, not believing what she saw. Once her eyes were able to comprehend and make sense of the strips of white paper plastered all over the walls, her eyes widened and her body felt limp.

Paper bombs.

Paper bombs had been stuck all over the walls. Masses of white paper were fixed and spaced randomly all over the place, threatening to suffocate the green painted walls. Everywhere she looked, there were paper bombs. The sheer amount that she saw covering the walls was enough to paralyse her. There must be hundreds if not thousands of them fixed onto the walls of the west wing area.

Rin stood there motionless, mouth agape and wide-eyed. Whoever had done this wanted to blow up the hospital. With this number of paper bombs, the explosion would be sure to erase any trace of the hospital. There would be nothing left.

Rin was so fixated on the paper bombs that she failed to notice the three figures standing in the middle of the room. They were all men, their weapon pouches hanging menacingly at their hips, each and every one of them sporting a hitai-ate on their foreheads that were adorned with two rocks, one behind the other. The kunai they had drawn from their pouches when Rin had stormed in were glinting frighteningly in their hands.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Smirked the one on the far left, swinging his kunai around and around on his finger.

Rin jumped as she was alerted to the fact that she was not the only person present.

"Looks like we've been found out." Said the one standing on the right, running a hand over his sand coloured hair casually.

"No matter. We'll just have to take care of her won't we? This little mouse here has seen something she shouldn't have." The one in the middle purred, the tone of his voice held something bone-chilling that made Rin's skin crawl with fear.

"W-what do you want?" Squeaked Rin, as she struggled to find her voice. They were the three Iwa-nin that she had seen a few minutes ago she was sure. But Rin hadn't anticipated that they would arrive at the hospital that quickly, let alone set up all these paper bombs.

The one in the middle appearing to be the leader stepped forward towards the medical-nin. Rin responded by stepping to the left away from the door and pulling out her own kunai, holding it out in front of her in a defensive position.

"Stay where you are!" She cried. Her throat felt as dry as sand, making her voice sound scratchy and coarse. "Don't come any closer!"

"Oh?" The Iwa group leader stopped in his tracks. "It seems that this little mouse is not as helpless as she seems!" He mocked, looking back at his teammates who laughed along with him.

Rin bit her lip and tightened her grip on her kunai. "What do you want with the hospital? You Iwa-nin have no place here!" She growled.

They only laughed harder. "This little mouse has quite a set of lungs on her doesn't she?"

Rin's teeth gritted fiercely. She knew she had to toughen up if she wanted any hope of beating off the Iwa-nin.

"Leave the hospital now! Or I'll have to-"

"You'll what? _Kill _us?" Jeered the leader.

"Captain, we still have a number of paper bombs to put up before the assigned detonation time. If we miss it, our efforts will have been for nothing. We should just kill her now." The sandy haired Iwa-nin spoke up, concerned for the time.

"Nonsense! We still have plenty of time. Besides, I feel like having some fun with this little mouse!" The leader advanced towards Rin once again.

Rin kept her distance from the man by side stepping more towards the left, kunai raised and eyes never leaving the man.

"I'm asking one more time! Leave, all of you!" She said, keeping her tone firm.

"Oh no, no we can't do that. You see, we an important mission to complete!" The man grinned sinisterly.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"What do ya think boys? Should I tell her of our mission? It's no fun if you do something that no one knows about don't you agree?" The leader asked his teammates over his shoulder.

"Do what you want captain, just as long as you clean up afterwards. The mission-leaders specifically told us not to leak information, remember?" The Iwa-nin on the far left said unconcerned, still swinging his kunai.

"Very well then! Would you like to hear of our story of bitterness towards Konoha then, little mouse?" The man said, turning back to face Rin.

Rin twitched. She was beginning to get tired of being called a 'little mouse'. Who were they to put labels on her when they knew nothing about her?

"A story of bitterness?" Rin was slightly curious as to what the man was going to tell her but she kept her defensive position, not letting her guard down.

"Listen well then little mouse! I expect you to pay attention or I may as well kill you on the spot now."

Rin's gaze did not falter. The man was doing her a favour by telling her the reason behind the attack. Maybe she could report it once she defeated the Iwa-nin.

"It all goes back to the 3rd Great Shinobi World War." He began, while examining the sharpness of his kunai, turning it around in his hands. "You probably know that your petty Konoha and our Iwagakure were stuck in some pretty thick conflict with each other. Konoha was only able to gain the upper hand because the Kannabi Bridge was _destroyed_." The man said the last bit with disgust in his voice.

_The Kannabi Bridge…_

A flood of memories that Rin would rather not remember came back to her in a flash, a subtle aching in her heart made itself known to her.

_That was when Obito had… passed away._

She fought the sorrow that was threatening to make painful memories come back. She couldn't afford to get distracted at a time like this.

"Your second-rate Konoha-nin had killed so many of our shinobi. It was like once our supplies were cut off, we were sitting ducks. Your village killed countless numbers of good men and women that were serving on our front lines. Among those killed… was my brother Mahiru." A glint of sadness was visible in his eyes for a brief second when he paused, but soon vanished.

"Once the war was over, almost every family had a member missing or killed. It's only been 5 years, but it feels as if it was only yesterday when the war was raging on our doorstep. Thousands of families still suffer and mourn to this day. You Konoha-nin don't know what it's like to lose someone important! You all continue on as if nothing happened! Just because you were a rich country to begin with, you could afford the weaponry and welfare for your shinobi, thus decreasing your deathrate on the battlefield. But we were not so lucky. We had to make do with what we had and what we could save."

"My brother…" He looked up at Rin, with his cold and hateful, piercing stare. "My brother would not have wanted his death to be in vain! He would have wanted justice! Someone to avenge him! Just like the other thousands of Iwagakure families Konoha has destroyed so recklessly during the war!"

Rin flinched a little when the man's voice had risen so suddenly to an angry cry. It was revenge. Iwagakure has come seeking vengeance on Konoha for killing their shinobi 5 years ago.

"And it's taken 5_ long _years, but we've finally come prepared!" The man's eyes widened insanely. "We've decided to take a little visit to your village hospital to take the lives of _your _precious ones! Now you'll know how it feels to lose the lives of loved ones! Oh, but now I'm afraid you've heard too much. Didn't we agree before that you wouldn't be leaving this room alive?" The man held up his right hand to give a signal to his teammates.

Rin backed away from the man as his other team members stepped forward in line with him.

"This is crazy! That's all behind everyone now isn't it? Everything about what you're doing is insane! How can you do something so irrational?" She cried.

"Now die, Leaf-nin! Die for the wrongs of your village!" The leader and his two other teammates lunged towards Rin, kunai dancing.

It was three against one, odds that were looking bleak for Rin.

* * *

ChibiJinchuuriki: Well, i tried to make this as 'historically accurate' as possible. Konohakure and Iwagakure were going at it pretty bad in kakashi gaiden so that gave me inspiration for the reason why the Iwa-nin came to attack Konoha. And if any of you smart cookies remember, Mahiru was the first Iwa-nin that team Minato encountered, the one that Kakashi tried to defeat with chidori but Minato ended up killing with hiraishin no jutsu. Please review guys! :)


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